The Tunisian Coast Guard has recovered the bodies of 13 migrants off the eastern coast of Tunisia, a judicial spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, involved retrieving bodies believed to be of men from Sub-Saharan African countries near the coastal areas of Chebba and Salakta.
Farid Ben Jha, the spokesperson for the courts of Monastir and Mahdia, confirmed that an investigation has been initiated to determine the details of the incident.
Tunisia, along with Libya, serves as a major departure point in North Africa for migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy, which is approximately 150 kilometers away from the Tunisian coast.
According to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, over 1,300 migrants died or went missing in boat sinkings off the Tunisian coast in 2023.
From the start of the year to mid-May, the Tunisian Ministry of Interior reported that 103 migrant boats had sunk.
During the first four months of the year, the National Guard reported intercepting or rescuing 21,545 migrants, marking a 22.5% increase year-on-year.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that over the past ten years, more than 30,000 migrants have perished in the Mediterranean Sea, including over 3,000 last year alone.
The ongoing crisis highlights the perilous journey many undertake in search of better opportunities in Europe.
